Bellevue families sending students to International School this fall will be walking into one of the top 50 public high schools in the country.

The Bellevue School District 405 choice school ranked 41st nationally and second in Washington state in the 2026-2027 U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools rankings, released Tuesday, Aug. 18. Only Nikola Tesla STEM High School east of Redmond, ranked ninth nationally, placed higher among Washington schools.

The ranking arrives two weeks before BSD's first day of school on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

What the ranking measures

U.S. News evaluated roughly 27,000 public high schools and ranked nearly 18,000, using data from the 2023-2024 school year. Schools received weighted scores across six criteria: college readiness (30%), state assessment proficiency (20%), state assessment performance (20%), college curriculum breadth (10%), underserved student performance (10%) and graduation rate (10%).

College readiness, the heaviest factor, measures the share of seniors who took and earned a qualifying score on at least one Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exam.

That aligns with International School's structure. The grades 6-12 choice school on 128th Avenue SE requires students to take seven core subjects for all seven years, and students average nine AP courses during their time there, according to the school's website.

International School was not the district's only top performer. BSD 405 placed four schools in Washington's top 10: International School at No. 2, Newport Senior High at No. 6, Interlake Senior High at No. 8 and Bellevue High at No. 10.

What makes International School different

International School is one of two 6-12 choice schools in BSD 405. Admission is by lottery and limited to district residents and children of eligible BSD employees. Students study French and fine arts as part of seven required core subjects for all seven years and complete a capstone Senior Project involving an internship, community service and a presentation before an expert panel.

Each spring, the entire school community leaves the classroom for "Focus Week," with activities ranging from cooking classes to environmental trips to the Cascade Mountains. Science teacher Wesley Hung wrote on the school's website that Focus Week is his favorite program because "students get an opportunity to explore cool learning opportunities outside the classroom."

What's next

BSD 405's 2026-27 school year begins Sept. 2 for grades 1-12. Families interested in International School can learn about the lottery process through the district's choice schools page.